Viewpoint Blog

As discussed in our previous blog post, 'The Canadian Retirement Landscape’ , the three levels of retirement plans in Canada include: government sponsored public plans, privately sponsored employer plans and individual plans. This article will discuss, in detail, Old Age Security (OAS) and the Canadian Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan (CPP/QPP), both...

In previous blog posts, we’ve discussed retirement payment options available to you as a member of an employer sponsored retirement plan. Your plan is one of the tools available to help you prepare for retirement. Overall, there are three levels of retirement plans available in Canada: government sponsored public plans, privately sponsored employer plans...

When it comes to investing, you want time on your side. Make time your ally through compound growth . Compound growth happens when your investment gains, such as interest or dividend income (profits), are reinvested, and the gains on the additions are reinvested, and so on. With compound growth, the earlier you start saving, the less you'll have to put away...

As discussed in our previous article, ‘Understanding Your Options at Retirement – Part I’, the options you have to access your plan assets at retirement depend on whether the money was accumulated in a pension or a savings plan. In part one we explored the options for pension (or locked-in) money; in this article, we will look at the options available for...

If you’re confused about retirement income alternatives, you’re not alone. How do you know what to choose? How do you know which product is right for you? Well, it all depends on the type of savings you have...read on. One of the most important factors in determining what products are available is whether the money was accumulated in a pension plan or a...

As you approach your retirement, you will find a range of different income options available that will allow you to draw on your retirement savings. The options range from flexible retirement plans, like Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIF) – which allow you to withdraw any amount you want (subject to certain required minimums) – to fixed payment plans...

Can you believe we are into November already? This month is Canada's Financial Literacy Month (FLM), with the focus of: empowering Canadians to manage money and debt wisely; planning and saving for the future; and preventing and protecting against fraud and financial abuse. We are excited to join in the #FLM2015 conversation on our blog and social streams...

In our webinar we discuss how an investment committee should manage expectations from the perspective of asset classes and manager relationships. We will: - Assess the accuracy of market predictions; - Determine whether or not it is possible to pick the best performing asset class; and - Discuss why you need to expect different results from different...

Canadian Equities Canadian equities suffered a loss of 7.9% over the quarter. This was largely due to concerns about the global economy. Of particular importance to Canada were concerns over the Chinese economy and how that would affect demand for Canadian commodities. This led to a sharp decline in commodity prices, which meant large declines in the energy...

Canadian Equity The Canadian stock market, represented by the S&P/TSX Composite, was down 1.6% in the second quarter of 2015. The two worst performing sectors were the industrials (-9.5%) and utilities (-7.7%) sectors. The industrials sector was negatively impacted by the weak performing transportation sub-sector due to the rising price of oil. The...